Silento indicted on murder charges of cousin and multiple other felonies

Silento has developed quite a rap sheet for himself in the past few years, but his recent indictment in the murder of his cousin might put him behind bars for good.

The rapper, who made a name for himself with his 2015 viral hit "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," has been in jail since February after being linked to the death of his cousin, Frederick Roots, the previous month. The 34-year-old victim was found dead on the road outside a home where he had gunshot wounds to the face and leg.

The musician, born Ricky Lamar Hawk, was indicted for the crime in a hearing by a grand jury in Georgia earlier this month. The jury charged him with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony on August 3, reports People.

The 23-year-old had already been arrested twice for domestic violence and gun charges in California last year, and in October was booked for driving at 140 miles per hour on the freeway. In addition, he was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in Los Angeles last year after he walked into an unlocked stranger's home in the Valley Village neighbourhood and tried to hit two people with a hatchet until one of them was able to disarm him.

After his latest imprisonment for the murder of a family member, his publicist had cited his mental health issues while urging his fans to continue to support him in their prayers. Chanel Hudson had written in an Instagram post at the time, "Please send my client Silento some positive vibrations. Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental illnesses. We will continue in his efforts of treatment, but we ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer & positive energy!!"

Silento rose to fame in 2015 with his hit single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," which he released when he was just 17 years old. The song and its video topped the charts and at the same time went viral on social media. Its dance-along video quickly drew millions of YouTube views and also inspired a dance craze at the time, with countless fans posting videos of themselves performing the choreography.